<p>Question: Do most if not all students own a laptop at Stanford. If so, what type? I hear Macs are great and I am thinking of purchasing one for a graduation gift for my high school senior. They are quite expensive and I wonder if the cost is worth it???</p>
<p>I don’t own a laptop.</p>
<p>I hope to go to Stanford so could you tell me you scores/ gpa/ and ec’s? Thanks, it would help a ton. Also I’ve visited a couple campuses when I’ve gone to football games, and most students I noticed had laptops so I think it would be a wise investment.</p>
<p>macs
Used to “require”, but now most own them</p>
<p>Stanford student here. I’d say about 90-95% of students own laptops, and most of the rest own desktops. I only know of one person who doesn’t own a personal computer. </p>
<p>That said, it’s perfectly possible to survive at Stanford without a computer. Every residence has a computer cluster, and there are several large central clusters open 24 hours per day. All computers are relatively recent iMacs dual-booting OS X and Windows 7.</p>
<p>As for the Mac vs. PC debate - it’s entirely a matter of your student’s preference. Macs are extremely popular on campus (I’d say they comprise the majority) but they are indeed quite expensive. Unless this laptop is supposed to be a surprise gift, I’d consult with your son/daughter first.</p>
<p>As others have said, most people do have laptops, with (I’d say) a slight predominance of macs. I’d highly recommend having one. One benefit that hasn’t been mentioned: having a laptop would enable your student to bring schoolwork along when he/she visits home.</p>
<p>Also, it’s a good idea to get one that can be easily carried in a backpack. When I got mine, I sacrificed that for a bigger screen size, and I wish I hadn’t.</p>
<p>Agreed with illogic. Also according to this</p>
<p>[Libraries</a> / Computing: Stanford University Facts](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/about/facts/libraries.html]Libraries”>http://www.stanford.edu/about/facts/libraries.html)</p>
<p>99% of Stanford’s students own a computer, and 95% own a laptop.</p>
<p>Either a PC or a Mac would do just fine. I know plenty who have one or the other and do fine with it. I’d really recommend a Mac. I remember I was making the decision of what laptop to buy for college and was so close to buying a MacBook (after having researched it very, very extensively, reading tons of people’s opinions, etc.), then opted for a PC laptop instead (which cost over $1k). For a while I hated Macs because I thought they were too simple, for the people who wanted to mix music, etc. … until I bought one. The MacBook Pro is honestly the most amazing piece of technology. I love it so much it’s absurd; it’s my baby. :p</p>
<p>I’m also a CS person who finds that programming on a Mac is WAY easier than on a PC.</p>